RESTED? OR WEAKENED AND WARPED?

This is what the LORD says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.’ ” – Jeremiah 6:16

So, there we are facing another life-decision, wondering what to do. Wondering which way to go. The Lord tells us to stand and look – and recognize – that we are at a decision point in our lives. We are to be stable and alert at these crossroads. We are not to be pushed around nor blind-sided by anyone or anything while we are assessing our circumstances and the decisions we need to make. We are to stand and look, be stable and alert, as we seek God’s good way.

Maybe those decision-demanding crossroads are about a major life change for you – a relationship, a move, a job, a total career change, a change in your physical or mental health.

We also need to recognize that we are standing at those decision-demanding crossroads every time we choose to think, speak or act. Yes, every time. Whether in our daily-day lives and our long-lasting relationships or in the more obvious crossroads during the major life changes we experience, we have choices to make about whether we will choose to walk in God’s good way or in our self-focused, self-centered way.

No matter what decision-demanding crossroads we are at, the Lord tells us to ask for the ancient paths, to ask where the good way is. In other words, we are to ask our Lord – who is the Ancient of Days, the Eternal One – what His righteous, good direction would be for us.

Then, the Lord tells us clearly (Because apparently the Lord knows He needs to be very specific and concrete with us!) to walk in that good way – to walk in His way. The Lord loves us powerfully and passionately and wants the very best for each and every one of us. Our God knows that His good way is the very best for us. And our Lord promises that we will find rest for our souls – we will find peace, restoration, security, strength, joy – when we do choose to walk in God’s good way!

Oh! It would be so fabulous if that were where this Scripture verse ended. You know: We stood, we looked, we asked God, we obeyed God, and we received the Lord’s strong and loving rest for our souls! But, sadly, that’s not the end of this verse. Instead, God makes it clear that our tendency towards stubbornness and rebellion against our Lord’s holy, loving authority is revealed in our choices at the crossroads of our lives. Way too often, we – in our thoughts, words, actions, reactions and interactions – stomp our feet, shake our fists, and turn our faces away from where the Lord wants to lead us. We make it clear, one way or another, that when it comes to following the Lord’s good way: We will not walk in it!

Living our lives really is all about choice. Choices about everything we think, say and do, about every way we speak to and treat others in our lives. Our God, out of His unfailing love for us, calls out to us to seek Him, trust His love, and walk in His good way – as we make each and every choice at each and every decision-demanding crossroad of our lives. Choosing to walk in our Lord’s good way is the only way for souls to be given our God’s life-restoring, life-blessing rest. Any and every other choice weakens and warps us. So, watch where you walk!